RismadarVoice Reporters
January 8, 2026
Newspaper publishers, media managers and journalists in Rivers State have given the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, a two-week ultimatum to investigate, bring to justice those responsible for the recent attack on an Arise Television crew in Port Harcourt.
The ultimatum was issued on Thursday by members of the Port Harcourt Press, a body of media executives and journalists in the State.
They warned that failure to act within the stipulated period would force them to boycott all police-related activities in Rivers State.
Speaking on behalf of the group, publisher of Port Harcourt Telegraph and former member of the House of Representatives, Ogbonna Nwuke, described the incident as “unfortunate” and a dangerous signal of what he said desperate politicians might attempt to re-enact ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to reports, the incident occurred on Friday, January 2, when suspected thugs invaded a hotel in Port Harcourt and disrupted a live Arise TV interview with a former Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment, Dr. Leloonu Nwibubassa.
During the attack, the assailants allegedly threatened the former commissioner and seized broadcast equipment belonging to the television crew.
Condemning the attack, Nwuke said it represented a broader threat to press freedom and public safety in the state, alleging that despite the identification of the perpetrators, the police had failed to make any concrete arrests.
“When the journalism profession is threatened, society itself comes under siege,” Nwuke said. “From available information, the police appear to be playing to the gallery. While the broadcast equipment was reportedly recovered, no definite arrests have been made.”
He further alleged that Dr. Nwibubassa had mentioned the name of a suspected perpetrator, yet no immediate action was taken by law enforcement authorities.
“The silence of the police authority since Friday, January 2, raises serious concerns. We are therefore constrained to believe that the police may be compromised and, by implication, complicit in this heinous act against the journalism profession in Rivers State,” he added.
The Port Harcourt Press called for an urgent, thorough and transparent investigation into the incident, demanding that all those involved, including individuals who allegedly armed the attackers, be arrested and prosecuted within two weeks.
Nwuke warned that failure to take decisive action would attract sanctions, including the withdrawal of media coverage of all police activities in the state.
“Failure to address this issue with the urgency it deserves and to carry out satisfactory prosecution will compel us to withdraw coverage of all police activities in Rivers State, in solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Journalists,” he said.
He urged the Inspector General of Police and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to demonstrate commitment to justice by ensuring a logical investigation, arrests and prosecution of all those connected to the attack.
